The 40 Seconds Pitch

It's blindingly obvious, but networking is an extremely good way of meeting people who may either be able to use your services or refer you to someone else who can. Networking itself is a relatively straightforward skill of being friendly and polite to people that, under normal circumstances, you wouldn't give house room to while panning for the nuggets of gold in the fluviam of business humanity. I can't believe I just wrote that, but you get my drift, listening to an endless litany of how I can help you achieve your business goals for a mere £275 + VAT a month could tax the patience of a saint. Cynicism aside, and that last paragraph may not make it to publication, I wanted to focus on the 40 second pitch which is a central plank of most networking sessions. How do you convey a lifetime of experience and ability in 40 seconds? You have a captive audience; your goal is to be approached by people that are interested in finding out more about what you do or what you know as a result of hearing you speak. This means that at least part of your audience needs to be alive and awake after you have finished talking having avoided drifting off or impaling themselves on the complimentary canapé cocktail-sticks seeking release. Consequently, as an interested observer these are my guidelines for avoiding mass suicides and talking in someone else's sleep. Here is how to do a good 40 second pitch.

The golden rule of any public speaking is that no one is there to watch you fail. This is a good thing that you should take energy from; you may feel like a fleshy butterfly farm, with hot and cold running sweats but your audience can't see that. They know nothing about you, have given you the benefit of the doubt and at that point are perfectly prepared to write you a cheque there and then. Even if they have no use for your hand stitched Bunny Belly Button warmers TM, they still want to be entertained, they want to learn something, and above all they want to feel valued and involved in your session. As a result they may bring you up in conversation with someone that owns the Bunny Farm that is your ticket to obscene fame and fortune.

My guidelines therefore are these;

1. Prepare what you are going to say. Write it out and practice in front of the mirror, your partner, cat, or garden gnome. It is only by speaking it out loud that you will be able to make it sound relaxed, sincere and genuine. Do not, under any circumstances, read your pitch to your audience. This is like having a big neon sign over your head saying "I have no clue what I am talking about", and unless you are Bernard Cribbens reading about the Raven on Jackanory, very boring to listen to.
2. Do not dismiss anyone. Too many pitches seem to start with "I am not interested in talking to...(insert your group)". Please don't alienate me with your first sentence, I won't be listening to anything else you say.
3. Speak clearly, don't talk to your feet or the carpet because they really won't buy from you and your audience won't be able to hear you either. In meetings where there are a lot of 40 second pitches going on people's attention will drift easily and having to concentrate to listen will put their attention straight back on their shopping list. While we are on this subject bear in mind that enthusiasm is infectious. If you are enthusiastic and excited by what you do, your voice will show it and your audience will listen harder. Nothing puts an audience to sleep faster than someone talking in a quiet monotone. 
4. Look at your audience. This is really key. In a small group, look from person to person and make eye contact with each of them in turn, then start at the beginning again. Don't look at the ceiling, flying buyers are quite rare, and don't fix on just one person as from the sides this looks like you are only talking to them and the others will feel alienated. The person you have fixed may also have the idea that you are a stalker so you'll lose out all round. In a larger group, or where you can't see people distinctly, i.e. you are on a stage with lights, you have forgotten your glasses, or suddenly been struck blind, scan the room from side to side slowly as you talk so that you really are talking to each member of the audience. Try not to do it so fast that you risk neck injury, a sedate pace is inclusive a rapid scan is alarming.
5. Remember that when presenting time is relative. What feels to you like an hour long wait, while you search for that elusive word that will perfectly describe exactly what you mean, is only a fraction of a second to your audience. This means you can slow down and speak clearly, this helps everyone hear and understand you, even the aurally and mentally challenged and that after all is the goal. While you are talking, try really hard not to fill the gaps with "Umm", "Errr", "actually" or any other vocal tick you may have developed. Your audience will start to count the ticks rather than listening to your message. Use this time warp effect to think about every word you are saying and leave them out.
6. On the subject of ticks, speaker's bodies often try to fill in the gaps. Watch a poor speaker and you will see change being jiggled in pockets, scratching, tapping, clapping, hair tugging and all manner of distractions. You are only talking for 40 seconds. You can keep even Tourette's syndrome and St Vitas dance under control for that amount of time.
7. Jokes and humour are very hard to get right. People can easily take offence at something you may think is hilarious and if you are unsure of the crowd it is usually best to leave the joke out. At some of the dining meetings I go to after dinner jokes have gone the way of postprandial cigar and ladies leaving before the port is served, just because of all the offended English, Irish and Scotsmen. 
8. Tell the audience what you do, in terms that mean something to them. I was at a speed networking session recently where at least half a dozen people spent their so much of their 40 seconds telling me about my referral payment, how customer focused they were and how passionate they were that I never found out what they actually did for a living.
9. Did I mention prepare what you are going to say. Talking off the cuff is a real skill that needs to be practiced. Nearly all off the cuff speakers have specially prepared off the cuff speeches that they have given dozens of times to give the impression that they can talk about anything off the cuff.
10. Finally, always finish with the "so what". What do you want me to do with what you have just told me? Many pitches seem to just fizzle out in paper shuffling relief that it's all over. The ending is the last thing your audience will remember so make it memorable. At the end of your session either tell me what you would like me to do as a result of having met you or tell me what sort of business you are looking for.

I enjoy networking, I enjoy new meeting people and I especially enjoy meeting people that make me feel good to have met them. The guidelines above are what I think make a good pitch, keep me awake and prevent me trying to self harm with finger food. I doubt that I'm alone on this, and I expect I can take some of my own medicine.

If you liked this articled and found it useful tell your friends, if you didn't like it tell me. If you would like me to listen to your pitch and maybe help you fine-tune it, call me or contact me here. If you would like to send it to someone else, feel free but do make sure you mention where you found it.